It is well known that, because of its high concentration of nitrate ions, ammonium nitrate has important uses in the field of agriculture in general and fertilization in particular. However, in many of the forms in which it ammonium nitrate fertilizers are commonly used, it is relatively difficult and potentially hazardous to handle commercially in large amounts, and/or to store in great masses (such as occur in commercial warehouses and storage bins), especially for relatively long periods of time. Furthermore, certain forms of ammonium nitrate may detonate under certain conditions, and have therefore sometimes been illicitly used as an explosive material.
Many fertilizer products require additional processing in order to render them useful in an explosive device. For example, fertilizers can be processed to enrich or separate the ammonium nitrate content by chemical purification methods. Such processing can include, for example, thermal processing and aqueous-based processing.